Dress supporting and securing device



(No Model.)

J & W. H. GELSTON. DRESS SUPPORTING AND SECURING DEVICE.

No. 582,986. Patented May18, 1897.

UNTTEE STATES PATENT @EETEE.

JOHN GELSTON AND YVILLIAM H. GELSTON, OF DUDLEY, NEW JERSEY.

DRESS SUPPORTING AND SECURING DEV|CE.-

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,986, dated May 18, 1897.

Application filed \T 11119 1 1396- To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that We, JOHN GELSTON and WILLIAM H. GELSTON, citizens of the United States, residing at Dudley, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Dress Supporting and Securing Devices, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to certain improvements in dress supporting and securing devices, and has for its object-to provide in the skirt of a dress a securing-band by which the skirt may be held in proper shape and form, and which at the same time affords a means of securly holding together the edges of the placket, as more fully set forth hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a securing and holding device constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the same. Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view on a somewhat larger scale, illustrating a detail of construction. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation on the line 4c 4, Fig. 1, drawn to an enlarged scale; and Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective View illustrating a modification.

In dress-skirts as at present made muchdifficulty is experienced in keeping the placket or slit at the rear of the skirt fully closed at all times, the fastenings most com- .monly in use being of such nature that the placket will tend to open when the skirt is raised.

In carrying out our invention We provide in the skirt a band A in two sections a a, each having at one end a loop b, secured in position by a rivet or by soldering and having its free ends bent over and embracing the opposite band, the arrangement being such that the bands may slide through the loops to increase or decrease the length of the whole. In the section a are a series of openin gs c, and in the opposite section a is secured a pin (Z, which may be adjusted in any one of the openings 0 of the band a, and when so adjusted will firmly hold the two sections in the required position.

On the inner surface of the section a, near its free end, is an elongated eye 6, made of $erial No. 596,117. (No model.)

sheet metal and provided with shoulders f, from which project fingers or cars g, adapted to pass through suitable slits 71, formed in the body of the strip near its opposite edges and afterward bent toward each other, so as to confine the eye in position. The shouldersf abut against the surface of the strip or band, and being much wider than the ears or fingers g serve to keep the eye in its proper position a slight distance away from the face of the strip, and at the same time they act in a measure to strengthen and reinforce the band at this point, where it is somewhat weakened by the formation of the slits h. The extreme end of the section a is bent inwardly in a slightly-waved line to form a hook 2' for engagement with an eye 6, provided on the outer face of the section a at some distance from the extreme end of the latter.

The eye or loop 6 is in all respects, both in form and in manner of secu ring, similar to the eye 6, above described. The extreme end of the section a is preferably narrowed and tapered somewhat, so that it may readily be in serted in the eye 6, and with the latter as a guide the two sections of the band may be gradually drawn together and then secured by inserting the hook i in the eye 6.

In Fig. 5 is shown a modification of the raised eye, which in this case is formed by slitting the band or strip proper at 7s and stamping up the eye portion from the body of the strip or band. In order to strengthen the band at this point, a strip of metal is bent and clamped around the band or strip, as shown.

In practice the sections a ct are first adjusted by the dressmaker to the proper length by inserting the pin cl of the section a in the proper opening 0 of the section a, and the band is then preferably covered with some suitable fabric. The adjusted band is then fastened in position in the interior of the band of the skirt at the waist-line, care being taken that the hook end i be securely stitched to the inner face of the overlapping portion of the placket, and to this end a series of small thread-openings Z are preferably formed in the section a at this point, and similar threadopenings m are formed in the section a for securing thereto the opposite edge of the placket. The tapered end of the section a is left free, and when the skirt is to be fastened it is merely necessary to insert this tapered end in the eye 0 and then draw the two edges of the placket together until the hook 11 may be engaged in the eye (2.

As the sections of the band are securely interlocked at two points the raising of the skirt cannot unfasten them, and the skirt is securely held in position, and all sagging is pre- Vented.

Vith a device of this character it is almost impossible for the placket to gape or to be accidentally opened.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the two adjustable strips or bands, means for locking the strips or hands in the adjusted position, raised eyes provided on the inner and outer surfaces of the respective sections, and a hook formed at the end of one of such strips and adapted to engage in the raised eye of the opposite strip, substantially as specified.

2. The combination of the two strips or hands, a pin provided on one of such strips, and there being a series of openings in the opposite strip into which said pin may enter, loops provided on the proximate ends of each strip and adapted to embrace the opposite strip, with means for securing together the free ends of such strips.

3. The combination of the two strips or bands adj ustably conn eeted together, a raised eye on the inner surface of one strip, a raised eye on the outer surface of the opposite strip, the end of one strip being tapered so that it may freely enter the eye of the opposite strip, and the end of said opposite strip being provided with a hook adapted to engage in the eye of the first strip.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN GELS'ION. \VM. ll. GELS'JON. \Yitnesses:

,ALEX. D. LAUER,

\VALTER W. CALMORE. 

